Prop 8 ruling puts Obama on the spot

Josh Gerstein at Politico argues that the Obama administration has systematically tried to put what it considers “controversial” social issues, like gays, guns and abortion, on the backburner. So when victories like the Prop 8 decision in California thrust gay rights back into the news, it makes things uncomfortable for the President.

Sorry our civil rights make you uncomfortable. But we’re not going away. Nor are our increasing legal victories. Nor is our increasing acceptance in society. Nor is our increasing intolerance for Democrats who find our quest for full citizenship “uncomfortable.”

I know it upsets some of our friends to hear us talk about the President in this way, but they fail to understand a fundamental point. The gay community, and our friends, are tired of being second class citizens. And yes, we are second-class citizens. Everyone out there, raise your hands if you can get married to the person you love.

Once upon a time, it was just the “gay activists” who got upset when Democrats – all politicians, really – didn’t support full equality. But over the past ten years or so, something changed. And over the past two years, since Prop 8 repealed marriage in California, that change accelerated at an exponential rate. Gay people, and our allies, are no longer wiling to tolerate “separate but equal” Democrats who think that showing up a fundraising dinner, or inviting us to a cocktail, is enough to buy our votes and our money. It’s not. Not any longer.

The Prop 8 decision is a big problem for Barack Obama. He needs to decide what side of history he wants to be on. Because currently, by giving his Justice Department the go ahead to oppose our civil rights in lawsuit after lawsuit, he’s on the side as the bigots who once refused to let his parents marry.

John AravosisFollow me on Twitter: @aravosis | @americablog | @americabloggay | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn. John Aravosis is the editor of AMERICAblog, which he founded in 2004. He has a joint law degree (JD) and masters in Foreign Service from Georgetown (1989); and worked in the US Senate, World Bank, Children's Defense Fund, and as a stringer for the Economist. Frequent TV pundit: O'Reilly Factor, Hardball, World News Tonight, Nightline & Reliable Sources. Bio, article archive.